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It's early September and I'm driving a rental car through the drying fields of Indiana on assignment. I'm scheduled to visit one of the fastest-growing solar distributors in the Midwest--Solar [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Are you tired of hearing about 'green'? Good. For this month, let's talk about the real reason radiant heat is the go-to system for many commercial building owners: [...]

IT'S TRUE: Family businesses are the heart of America. In this country, family-owned businesses account for 89 percent of business tax returns, according to recent research. That translates to more [...]

It was a lazy afternoon in 1999. Mark Paup and his wife Miranda were reading their local Sunday paper when an advertisement soon caught their eye in the Des Moines [...]

When Harris-Dudley Plumbing and Heating in Salt Lake City broke ground on its new 19,000-sq.-ft. headquarters, it was planned from the get-go with radiant in mind: Home base would now [...]

LET'S GET RIGHT to the point: C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co. is unique in this business. Not only has it survived--and thrived--to reach its 100th anniversary, it has done so serving [...]

The Japanese call it Kaizen. It means, literally, 'to take apart and put back together in a better way.' It is an approach to productivity that breaks with tradition of [...]

Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library is one of the largest buildings in the world devoted entirely to rare literary works of art. Built in 1963 of Vermont [...]

As the water treatment market builds momentum, more and more plumbing service contractors acknowledge its potential for profitability by adding it to their business diversities. But it doesn't end at [...]

LET'S FACE IT. Sometimes there are only two things you think of while on a job: 1) Am I on time? and 2) Am I on budget? The fact that [...]

Your customers want to trust that what comes out of their taps is the safest possible drinking water. And in the United States, they're probably right; the U.S. public water [...]

When speaking about the 'culture' of a company, most people use that word in its noun form: a place with a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. But [...]

Kinetics-Southwest Region has waged a 'War on Waste' by adapting a manufacturing philosophy first developed in Japan. Kinetics' 5S's method of improving productivity has engaged its employees and brought quick [...]

'The skilled trades may not always be the easiest career choice a woman can make. Like a stranger in a new town, there are plenty of difficulties to deal with [...]

In May 2000, Plumbers Success International announced plans to make Benjamin Franklin into a national plumbing brand. National branding has been on the minds of PSL co-founders Jim Abrams and [...]

Six years ago, if you had asked President Michael Kotubey if Midwest Mechanical was 'The Best Contractor To Work For,' he would have said, 'No.' But it just goes to [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Talk about healthcare reform! When Sherman Health, a not-for-profit community-governed healthcare system, planned to build its $310 million replacement hospital in Elgin, Ill., it sought to create a [...]

Among the renewable energies, solar is easily the fastest-growing segment in the United States. The Energy Information Administration announced in its Annual Solar Thermal Collector Manufacturers Survey that shipments surged [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] To be a plumber, you need to leave any squeamish tendencies at the door. How else could you willingly and gladly reach down into waste pipe, traps and [...]

Up until a few years ago, most people were just satisfied with a bathroom that was clean with a fresh supply of TP. Now, they're more likely to be interested [...]

MANY TIMES, bathroom accessories to plumbing contractors mean drain wastes, valves and flexible hoses. But the ability to think past your nose and offer the 'softer side' of plumbing accessories [...]

One Tidy Truck A.C.M. Appliance Repair Service, Binghampton, N.Y. Our Truck Of The Month features focus mainly on exterior appearance--a catchy slogan, an attractive graphic, an unusual color combo. But [...]

It's been said that home is where the heart is. But the heart can specifically be found in the bathroom if today's consumer trends ring true. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [...]

Remember the 1985 hit movie, 'Back to the Future'? At its conclusion, Doc Brown rustles frantically through the garbage. 'I need fuel,' he says to Michael J. Fox's character. He [...]

Ever get overzealous during a radiant project? Each tee, each loop, each drop an artistic expression of a radiant master. The end result is a tour de force as you [...]

When a single pinhole leak under 40 pounds of pressure can lose more than 2,000 gallons of water a day, companies that perform radio leak detection can seem like heroes [...]

PEX for potable water systems is currently marketed by several manufacturers, including IPEX, Wirsbo, Watts Radiant, REHAU, Zurn, Stadler Viega, RTI, Weil-McLain and Vanguard. Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) is nothing new [...]

The U.S. Public Health Service first established a national standard for arsenic in drinking water in 1942. It was set at 50 parts per billion and remained unchallenged until 1975 [...]

It has been labeled a 'silent killer,' plaguing homes, schools and places of business around the country. It has been the cause of several multimillion-dollar lawsuits. It was found in [...]

The rest of the country continues to holds its breath while the West coast battles with energy concerns. As California homeowners face skyrocketing electricity bills and rolling blackouts, state utility [...]

Are faucet manufacturers addressing 'function' as well as 'form'? Jan Weimer knows her way around a kitchen. She is a consultant to consumers, architects, designers and contractors in the field [...]

Contractors in the Seattle, Wash., area are counting their blessings -- and invoices -- after the earthquake that hit the state Feb. 28. The quake, centered about 35 miles southwest [...]

Controlling overhead during this squeezed economic time has become a priority for business owners everywhere. They want jobs to run as efficiently as possible with minimum downtime and maximum productivity. [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 'spa at home' is a strong-growing segment, and for plumbing contractors increasingly squeezed by today's competitive market, suggesting a customized shower and steambath experience to homeowners might [...]

While we can't promise a magical increase in sales, this month's introduction to social media networks will explain why a well-maintained Facebook or Twitter account can help your company's traditional [...]

Lifestyles today move at break-neck speeds: We communicate with each other in pocket-sized high-speed bandwidth. We buy and sell goods in an instant online. We tape multiple TV shows at [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Times are tough out there. Plumbing service businesses are feeling the pinch of cautious consumer confidence. As 2009 dawns, it seems clever and resourceful marketing tactics will be [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The U.S. House of Representatives passed the revised Emergency Economic Stabilization Bill of 2008 Oct. 3, and President George W. Bush signed the legislation into law soon after. [...]

As the credits crunch and industries suffer, jobseekers in the United Kingdom are seeing the plumbing industry as a more secure trade; recession-proof, if you will. According to a recent [...]

The 'Green Team,' the Radiant Panel Association's collection of alternative energy super heroes, helped start the radiant trade group's Annual Conference and Radiant Expo, Aug. 13-15, in suburban Chicago. Many [...]

MCAA, PHCC concerned that system may overburden PHC employers Could affect millions of workers Individual states working to enact own regulations The Department of Homeland Security has designated E-Verify as [...]

In the early 1990s, nearly 25 million feet of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Entran II radiant hose was sold throughout the United States and Canada. However, a major defect was [...]

THE OLD SAYING, 'There's too many cooks in the kitchen,' no longer rings true for American kitchens, as they have evolved into the most popular room in the home. With [...]

New construction steam systems may be a rare occurrence these days, but for home- and building-owners still fitted with the ancient steam rads from the early days of heating history, [...]

ONE WAY TO define an 'accessory' is: an object or device that, while not essential in itself, adds to the beauty, convenience or effectiveness of something else. In this case, [...]

On Sept. 5, the International Code Council effectively terminated negotiations to develop a single U.S. plumbing and mechanical code in conjunction with the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, [...]

The Radiant Panel Association brought its regional RadFest show to the west coast in Tacoma, Wash., May 1-3 for a round of seminars, courses, roundtable discussions and a trade show. [...]

This year at the Kitchen & Bath Show in Chicago, it was clear that beautifully designed sinks and faucets now offer innovative functionality to today's homeowners with new products such [...]

Many times when PM reports on sensor or electronic faucets we use the term 'hands-free': An infrared sensor activates a solenoid valve and water flow by passing an object (hands) [...]

Ah, your truck. Feel the pride--and maybe a tear or two--as you think about what you've been through together. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Your truck is your constant companion on each service [...]